- INTELLIGENT RESISTANCE -
Free. Fair. Fearless. Intelligentsiya is made up of Fiji Islanders who are libertarians in their own way and who cherish the free flow of news, ideas and information and will peacefully resist any attempts by the country's military rulers to stifle free speech. intelligentsiya will also bear witness, report and discuss human rights abuses by the authorities.

February 24, 2007

There are spies among us…

It should not have been a surprise, but Fiji’s military has admitted to using government vehicles carrying private number plates and having spies posted around the country.

Army spokesman Major Neumi Leweni told Fiji Television’s 1 National News on Friday that the military and some government departments have been using official vehicles bearing private plates and that plain-clothe military intelligence officers are posted across the country.

Leweni said it should be expected that the military would have intelligence agents reporting back to them and played down the use of private-plate vehicles.

The military has been depending on “intelligence” from its agents and enthusiastic members of the public in its various raids (bootleg, marijuana raids) and arrests (like the case of former Labour Minister Kenneth Zinck, arrested twice in two different pubs for making anti-Bainimarama statements).

Bainimarama probe “shelved”

Meanwhile, the acting Police Commissioner Romanu Tikotikoca announced in a press conference on Friday afternoon that police had “shelved” an investigation into army commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama that began before the military ousted the government.

Bainimarama’s threats against Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase’s government late last year prompted a sedition investigation that was underway when the army commander staged his coup on December 5, 2006.

That investigation has now been called off in the interests of “national security”, Tikotikoca said.

“At this moment, one must understand that national security supersedes all other issues. Therefore the concern of the police is the interest of public safety and security and our efforts at the moment is directed towards the maintenance of peace and stability in this nation and facilitate the return of democratically elected government.”

Arms shipment investigation

In another development, Tikotikoca revealed the files of the investigation into the army’s removal of 7.5 tonnes of ammunition from the Suva wharf in November last year is now with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Police Director of Economic Crime Ravi Narayan said after the investigation “they realised a technical issue had been overlooked,” according to Legend FM.

He said they are now trying to get a “legal opinion” on whether the military have the authority to import arms without a license.

The importation of the ammunition from Korea in late November put then Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes and Bainimarama at loggerheads and thrust the animosity between the two into the spotlight.

Detention of police officers

Tikotikoca also labelled the arrest and six-day incarceration by the military of senior detective Waisea Tabakau who was involved in investigating Bainimarama’s seditious comments as a “misunderstanding” (as Legend FM puts it).

“Apparently this is an internal matter that we are going to solve and hopefully we will come to a mutual understanding,” Tikotikoca said.

Tabakau was being questioned at Queen Elizabeth Barracks before his release on Thursday.

The military were also searching for other police officers involved in investigating the military over its threats to oust Qarase.

And in other news…

Meanwhile, after all the gloomy news out of Suva, some comedy…

Fijilive reports that the military is investigating the source of rumours that Land Force Commander Colonel Pita Driti and army commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama had a “fist-fight”.

Colonel Driti laughed at suggestions he had an argument with Bainimarama, according to Fijilive.

“I heard rumours like that too last week that we had a fight following a heated argument. There was nothing like that,” he told Fijilive.

“We know that a group of people are spreading rumours. We are investigating.”

The rumour has been circulating on the Fiji Village Talk forum since last week after somebody posted a message saying Driti had been admitted to hospital after a “punch up” with Bainimarama and his bodyguards.

The “group of people” Driti is referring to is probably the anonymous users of Fiji Village Talk.

The fact that Bainimarama and Pita Driti had a fight really took place.Bainimarama had been missing some of the important military meetings and when he turned up that day, Pita asked him why he had been missing alot of meeting and to stop hanging around with those flat hairs and Pita threw a punch and there was a fist fighting before it stop.

Come on, anonymous, the two gentlemen Comm. Bainimarama and Brig. Driti are NOT members of some old ladies sowing club. They are men toughen by Military training and Military culture and tradition. It therefore should not surprise us if such scuffle dots the landscape of our struggle to bring back Fiji to the “way the world should be”. History records a few knuckles traded by our former Politicians and Leaders, even in the Church arena. The Butadroka/Momoivalu saga in front of the Government buildings, Methodist Rev/AOG Pastor in Pacific Harbor etc, etc. Even the Good book talks about many like St. Paul/St Peter furious confrontation about male circumcision... I would think in most cases no personal agenda were points of contention but men rising up with different opinions for the common good. If St Peter had had his way, all Churches around the world would have a special room to castrate all male 6 or 60 yrs old who would want to follow the Christian faith.Most times “without confrontation there is no resolution”. At other times “better the wounds of a friend than praises of a fool”.I do know this twi men love and play Rugby!!Fiji ever Fiji!!